Victor Wooten

[Duarte]

i'll go one further and say marcus miller can be a little too flashy at times. I say take it back to the raw funky lines played by the likes of larry graham and bernard edwards. (not saying miller or wooten are bad, in fact i love their music and idolise them, it's just sometimes less is more)

+1

here's my favorite solo bass performance of all time. After the intro section, he gets into very advanced applications of the techniques we're discussing, including a few bars of 32nd note stuff that's mind blowing. Sounds a little trebly on those extra light guage fodera strings he uses, but incredible nonetheless. And overall, the musicality of this piece is just ... I love it.

+1

Hmmm - confilcting +1's on my part. That wooten solo IS fantastic, and I watch it over and over. But just love those Bernard Edwards (stingray) grooves for what they are, sweet sweet grooves.

 

[RobertB]

Hmmm - confilcting +1's on my part. That wooten solo IS fantastic, and I watch it over and over. But just love those Bernard Edwards (stingray) grooves for what they are, sweet sweet grooves.

I love simple grooves too ... I love many things in both categories - "simple" and "flashy". I don't make the generalization that one is good and the other is bad. To me, it depends not only on the player, but the specific piece of music. In some cases, I'd agree that Vic or Marcus' flashiness are a little much - if/when it seems that that's the intention - just to be flashy. But when it fits, is right for the song, and sounds expressive - like in this Amazing Grace performance, and in so much of Vic's other stuff - I dig it.

But I whole-heartedly agree that it's not a "requirement" for a bass line to be flashy to be great. Vic says the same. "Your job is to make it groove".

 

[ronnyG]

It's weird that I saw this topic about Wooten because until recently I had never heard of him. A week or so ago I was youtube surfing and came across some of his vids. For the most part I was impressed. He is definatly a virtuoso.

I have been using some of the techniques he uses for about 15 years,,the thumb up thing. The first band I was in was a heavy funk project and I slapped alot and did lots of fills and fast runs. However I don't use that stuff anymore..unless I am teaching someone else how to do it.

I find that I had to disipline myself to play less..it is harder for me to do that then to shred..but as I matured as a musician I realized it's about the song..not showing off.

So now instead of annoying most people (and only impressing bass players)..I am happy being a bass player in a great band..rather then the greatest bass player. Well for me it worked.

My personal favs as far as the "innovators" are Bootsy and Jamerson. But as far as music I listen to the band..not just the bass. I enjoy almost every type of music..except polka.

 

[RobertB]

It's weird that I saw this topic about Wooten because until recently I had never heard of him. A week or so ago I was youtube surfing and came across some of his vids. For the most part I was impressed. He is definatly a virtuoso.

You might also enjoy checking out Bela Fleck & the Flecktones - the band Victor plays bass in, aside from his solo stuff. In the Flecktones, Vic fills something closer to the "traditional" bassist role, as compared to his solo stuff, though he does still have a solo in many Flecktones songs. When you go to a Flecktones show, about half the crowd is there for Vic, and the other half for Bela, who is a virtuoso on Banjo, and likes to play it in every unexpected context imaginable. They've been referred to as "the Dave Matthews Band on steroids". And though Victor spends alot more time just holding it down with the Flecktones, his fans (myself included) would definitely feel ripped off if they went to a Flecktones show and Vic didn't take an extended solo section (like the vid of Amazing Grace in this thread - that's from a Flecktones show).

Anyway, for anyone interested in checking out a Flecktones cd, "Left of Cool" or "Greatest Hits" are both great.